Continuous press



. T. IVIEAKIN.

CONTINUOUS PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 29, 19m.

/f/S A TTORNEYS CONTINUOUS PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1922.

Original application led` January 24, 1918, Serial No. 213,452. Divided and this application filed October 29, 1918. Serial No. 260,142.

T o all .whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDGAR T. MEAKIN,

' citizen of the United States, and a resident tracting liquids from substances containing the same, and'one of the objects of the invention is to provide a press in which means are arranged for removing the residue from the press after the liquids have been extracted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a press of the character described having means for varying the degree of pressure to which the material in the press is subjected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a press in which means are'included for varying the longitudinal relation of the feed and pressure screw.

Another object of the invention is to provide a press in whichv the feed and pressure screws are provided with an improved form of iiights or threads.

The invention possesses other features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my 1nyentionY which is illustatd iii the d'aw in accom an ing, an orming par o thsspecificationl It 'is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations vof the preferred form within the .scope of my invention as set forthinthe claims. v Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the press of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of l the press. The plane of section isv indicated by the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

'The'press of my invention isparticularly suited for use in connection with the making of fish meal asI pointed out at length in my co-pending application above referred to; also in extracting the 'juice from pineapples. lemons and other fruits and for analogous uses. Broadly it comprises a foraminated cylindrical casing in which a feed screw of improved pattern propels `the material under treatment to a pressure screw. which squeezes the material to subi stantial dryness. 'Means are provided for positively insuring the feed of the material to the pressure screw, for permitting the free liquids to drain from the material during its progress to the pressure screw, for extracting the pressed 'material from the casing, and for regulating the pressure eX- erted upon the material. Means are also provided for permitting and effecting longitudinal adjustment between the feed and pressure screws.

A cylindrical casing 2 is suitably held in frames 3 which in turn are mounted upon supporting beams f1. 4 Preferably the casing Vis made in twoparts. the portion 2a being provided with an intake hopper 6 into which the material to be pressed falls from any suitable source. The casing is provided with a multiplicity ofvclosely spaced small apertures 7 through which the liquids from which the feed screw generally designated by the character 11 lies, and a catch basin 12 drained by the pipe 13 is disposed below that portion of the 'casing in whichthe pressure screw, generally designated by the character 14, and the eXtracter Screw generally designated by the character 15 lie.

The feed screw 11 comprises a hollow shaft 16, the end 16a of which is journaled in the bearing 17 disposed in the adjacent frame 3, and upon which, threads or flights 18 are helically disposed. The screw 11 also rotates upon the shaft 19'/ disposed longitudinally through the press casing 2 and supported in suitable bearings arranged in the frames 20 and 21. A gear 22 keyed upon the outer end ofthe hollow shaft of the screw meshes with pinion 23 on jack shaft 34 which is driven by tight pulley 26 connectedto any desired source of wer. A feeder wheel`27 is mounted at' t e entrance of the main portion of the' ress casing 2, its arms projecting into t e spaces between the flights 18 vof the screw. The feeder wheel prevents thepacking of material between the flights and insures its forwardV movement toward the pressure screw.

The pressure screw 14 comprises a conical hollow shaft 28 fixedly secured to the shaft 19 upon which the feed screw 11 rotates. Helically disposed on the shaft 28 are threads or flights 29 similar to threads 18 on shaft- 16. One end 28a of the shaft 28l is cylindrical in form and without threads which are arranged only on the main or conically formed portion. The flange 310 supports the cylindrical end of the hollow shaft upon the shaft 19.` The hollow shaft extends preferably to adjacent the end ofv the casing 2. The shaft 19 is rotated by gear 31 in mesh with pinion 32 fixed on the jack shaft 24. The pinion is relatively wider than gear 31 to permit offlongitudinal movement of the shaft 19, and the end 28b of the conical shaft 28 is'recessed to fit over the adjacent end of shafty 16 to provide a slip joint therewith during longitud'inal adjustment of the shaft 19 and pressure screw relative to the feed screw.v

4This longitudinal adjustment is secured by mounting the end of the shaft 19 in relatively long bearing boxes 33 and 3 4 to permit of longitudinal or axial movement therein. The outer ends of the boxes are closed and a cap screw 36 provided with a lock nut is threaded through the end wall of each box, and impinges upon the bearing disc 37 vdisposed between the ends of the screw and shaft. By adjustment of the cap screw 36, -the shaft 19 carrying the pressure screw may be moved axially to and retained in the desired position. With material havinga high percentage of liquid, the pressure screw. is' adjusted relatively close to the feed screw, but is spaced farther from the screw with increase in the solid content of the. material. The feed and pressure screws are thus relatively adjustable in accordance with the proportion of liquid and solid matter in the material to be treated. This feature enables the operator to adjust' the press to operate onf/,any given material at the greatest efficiency for that material. Preferably the speed of rotation of the pressure screw 14'is higher than the 'speed of the feed screw 11. j Y In Vthe usual type of flightv or thread found in screw conveyors the tendency of the material is to crowd to the outer edge of the flight resulting in wearing the forward edges 38 away. A rounded forward edge tends to pack the material against the.'`

casing andmaterially reduces the efficiency of the device. In order to avoid this fault,

I form the flights on the screws 11 and 14 of thepress with a forward rake or slant sufficient to overcome the outward movement of the' material to the outer edge of the flight. This shape of flight keeps the material working toward the axis of the screw and eliminates Athe objectionable wear repoint may be considered as an adjustable extension* of the pressure screw, comprises a conical sleeve 41, lying partlyv within and partly without the press casing 2- One end of the casing 41 is open and forms aslip fit with thel cylindrical end 28"L of the ressure screw 14. The other end of the s eeve is formed integral with the hub 42 slidable upon the shaft 19, but fixed for rotation therewith by means of a spline 5r key 43. The conical surface of the extractor is provided with flights 44 of the same descrip-pv tion as the flights 18 and 29 and of the same diameter. y

It will be noted that axial adjustment of' the extractor screw upon the end of the pressure screw, alters the size of the annular outlet between the press casing 2 and the extractor screw through which the material is discharged by the action of the flight 44. With the extractor moved to the farthest inward position, the outlet is smallest and the material is subjected to the maximum- A casing 2.v A portion of the shaft between thepress casing and the bearing 34 is provided with threads 46, and asleeve 47 is 'threaded thereon, which is connected-to the hub 42 by the split sleeve 48 having flanges .149 in annular grooves in both vsleeve and hub'. The split sleeve .is held in engagement withthesleeve and hub by the lock ring51 forming ai drive fit therewith. The sleeve `47 is thus rotatable relative to the hub 42, but movablea ially therewith. The sleeve is provided with sockets 52' adapted to receive the end of a bar orhandle to facilitatethe easy turning thereof and by rotating the sleeve the extractor screw is moved iat preferably arranged in a plate 54 remov-A ably connected by.means of cap screws 56 with the supporting frame 21. Theaperture in the frame closed by the plate 54 is larger than the diameter of the screws so that they may be withdrawn from the press casing through the plate 21 without disturbing thetie rods 57 passing through the frames or other parts.

I claim: 1. In a press, a casing, a pressure screw in said casing, an extractor screw inthe end of said casing, and means for axially adjusting screw in said casing'. rotatable with said vsaid extractor screw relative to theend of said casing.

2. In a press, a casing, a pressure screw in said casing, a conical extractor screw in the end of said casing, and means for axially adjusting said extractor screw relative to the end of said casing.

3. In a press, a casing, a shaft disposed longitudinally in said casing', a pressure shaft, and an extractor screw arranged in the end of said casing, said extractor screw being rotatable with said shaft and axially adjustable thereon. I 4. In a press, a casing, a pressure screw in said casing comprising a conical shaft having threads arranged thereon, an extrac-u tor screw in the end of said casing comprising a hollow conical sleeve havingnthreads arranged thereon, said extractor-sleeve containing the end of said pressure screw, .and means for axially adjusting said extractor Screw relative to the end of said casing..

5. In a press, a casing, and a pressure screw in said casing having an axially adjustable conical end adapted to extend from the end of said casing 6. In a press, a foraminated cylindrical casing, and a pressure screw in said casing havingv an axially adjustable conical end adapted to extend from the end of said casing. I

7. In a press, a foraminated cylindrical casing, a pressure screw in said casing having an axially adjustable conical end adapted to extend from the end of said casing, means for adjusting said'co-nical end relative toy the end of said casing, and a feed screw for conveying material to said pressure screw.

8.- In a press, a foraminated cylindrical casing, a pressure'screw in said casing having an axially adjustable conical end adapted to extend from the end of said casing, means for adjusting said conical end relative to the end of said casing, a feed screw in said casing for conveying 'material to said pressure screw, and means for rotating said feed and pressure screws at different speeds.

9. In a press, a casing, a pressure screw in said casing, a conical extractor screw in the end of said casing, a feed screw in, said casing'for conveying material to said pressure screw, and means for axially adjusting said extractor screw relative to the end of said casing.

10. In a press, comprising a casing, a pressure screw in said casing, a feed screw for feeding material to said pressure screw, and means for revolving said feed and pres- /sure screws at different speeds.

11. A press, comprising a casing, a pressure screw in said casing, a feed screw for feeding material to said pressure screw, and means for adjusting the relative positions of saidv screws longitudinally.

12. A press comprising a casing, a pressure screw in said casing, a feed screw for feeding material to said pressure screw, means for revolving said feed and pressure screws at different speeds, and means for varying their relative positions longitudinally.

13. A press comprising a casing, a pressure screw in said casing, a feed screw in said casing for :feeding material to said pressure screw, and means co-operating with saidv feed screw vfor positively insuring the feeding of material thereby.

' 14. In a press, a foraminated cylindrical casing, a pressure screw 1n said casing having an axially adjustable conical end adapted to extend from the end of said casing, means for adjusting said conical end relative. to the end of said casing, a feed screw in said casing for conveying material to said pressure screw, and a feeder wheel cooperating with said feed screw'.

15. In a press, a foraminated cylindrical casing, a pressure screw in said casing, having an axially'adjustable conical end adapted to extend Jfrom the end of said casing, means for adjusting said conicalv end relative to the endhof said casing, and a feed screw for conveying material toI said pressure-screw, said feed and pressure screws being y'relatively axially adjustable.

16. A press' comprisinga foraminated cylindrical casing, a pressure screw in one end of said casing, a feed screw in the other end of said casing, means forcollecting the free liquids draining through-said casingfrom said feed screw, and means for collectin the extracted liquids draining throu'gh sai casing from said pressure screw.

17. In a press, a pressure screw comprising a conical body having threads arranged thereon and being adjustable in length.

.118. In a press, a casing, a pressure screw in said casing comprisling a conical body having threads arranged thereon, and means for longitudinally adjusting said pressure screw relative to the end of said casing whereby the yannular space between the casing and the screw in varied.A

19. In a press, a casing, a shaft in saidl casing, a pressure screw fixed on said shaft, a feed screw rotatable on said shaft, means for rotating said pressure and feed screws at different speeds, and means for longituinally adjusting said shaft to vary the posiadjustable and fixed for rotation with said shaft, a feed screw .in` said casing rotatable upon said shaft, means for rot-ating said shaft and said feed screw at different speeds, and means for longitudinally adjusting said shaft to vary the relative longitudinal pbsitions of sald feed and pressure screws.

22. In a press, a casing, a shaft in said casing, a hollow conical shaft Aterminating in a cylindrical portion and fixed, on said irst'shaft, threads disposed on the conical surface of said hollow shaft, a hollow conical sleeve venclosing thev cylindrical end of said hollow shaft and fixed for rotation with said first shaft and lon itudinally slidable thereon, threads dispose on said sleeve, and

means for moving said sleeve longitudinally on said first shaft out, and cylindrical portion of said hollow shaft tovary the area of the discharge opening fro-msaid casing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 19th day of October, 1918.

EDGAR T. MEAKIN. Inpresence of- C. S. EVANS. 

